CD Reviews (The Straits Times, September 2012)

BEETHOVEN Symphonies Nos.1-9

West-Eastern Divan Orchestra / DANIEL BARENBOIM

Decca 478 3511 (5 CDs) / *****

The West-Eastern Divan Orchestra was founded in 1999 by Daniel Barenboim and the late Edward Said, as a project bringing together young musicians from Israel, Palestine and neighbouring Arab countries in the spirit of unity, cooperation and mutual respect. Despite all forms of opposition and political haranguing, WEDO has survived and this box-set of nine symphonies by Beethoven, the singular composer who best embodied the “Brotherhood of Man”, is a proud document of its struggles. The performances do not possess pretences to period performance practice or authenticity but nevertheless encapsulate Beethoven’s restless spirit of upheaval and agitation.   

There are many moments to dip into and enjoy. The Funeral March of the Third Symphony “Eroica”, builds up to a stentorian climax of true pathos. The peasants’ dance in the Sixth Symphony “Pastoral” has seldom sounded this animated with perky woodwinds doing the honours. The Adagio of the Ninth Symphony “Choral” unfolds purposefully and moves the soul like no other, capped by the valedictory Ode To Joy finale that expresses genuine universal love. Whether you are a connoisseur or neophyte, there is much to gain from this invigorating release.

ACHRON Suites for Violin & Piano

HAGAI SHAHAM, Violin

ARNON EREZ, Piano

Hyperion 67841 (2CDs) / ****1/2

The name of Jospeh Achron (1886-1943) survives on the fame of his single hit Hebrew Melody, a reflective and mournful piece of 1912 that was championed by Jascha Heifetz amongst others. Achron was born in Lithuania and became a pupil of Leopold Auer (who also taught Heifetz, Milstein and their generation of violinists) before settling in Hollywood within its community of émigré composers. This anthology opens with that famous tune of his but introduces well over two hours of his other violin music. Jewish-influenced music plays an important part, further exemplified in Two Hebrew Pieces, Eli Zion (also 1912) and the Stempenyu Suite (1918). The latter’s finale, Freilachs (Happy) uses an extremely catchy theme drawn from Klezmer music and popular culture.

The music of his other Suites takes the form of antique dances, and resembles the easy-on-the-ear, old world and salon charm of Fritz Kreisler. His Suite Bizarre (1916) is more tonally adventurous, sharing dissonances explored by contemporaries Scriabin, Bartok and Stravinsky. The eight short pieces of Children’s Suite, originally for piano, were arranged by Heifetz himself. There can be no more sympathetic and heartfelt interpreters of Achron’s music than the Israeli duo of Sham and Erez. Its really in their blood.

CD Reviews (The Straits Times, August 2012)

STRAVINSKY The Firebird / Orchestral Arrangements

Bergen Philharmonic / ANDREW LITTON

BIS SACD-1874 / ****1/2

The music of Igor Stravinsky’s first ballet, The Firebird, is usually enjoyed at concerts in the form of its short 1919 Suite, which lasts some 20 minutes. The complete ballet, a rarity because of the massive orchestral forces employed, plays for over twice as long. It is an extremely colourful score, much in the style of Stravinsky’s teacher Rimsky-Korsakov, with its Russian fairy-tale story of a hero, princesses and ogres vividly characterised. In this sumptuous recording, the dances truly come to life aided by excellent woodwind and brass, culminating in the ferocious Infernal Dance and glorious final apotheosis.

The value of this disc lies in its unusual fillers. Instead of another ballet, Stravinsky’s rarely heard orchestrations of music by Tchaikovsky (Bluebird Pas de deux from Sleeping Beauty), Sibelius (Canzonetta) and Chopin (a nocturne and a waltz) are offered. True to form, Stravinsky’s ingenious play with sound textures assures quirks aplenty. The biggest surprise is reserved for the minute-long Birthday Greeting, an outlandish distortion of the children’s Happy Birthday party song which plays down the melody but magnifies the accompaniment. Have fun in this musical “hall of mirrors”.

BEETHOVEN FOR ALL

DANIEL BARENBOIM, Piano & Conductor

Decca 478 3513 (2 CDs) / **1/2

Anyone who has gone through the triumphs and vicissitudes of life will identify with the life-affirming music of Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827). He was Everyman personified, dogged by unrequited love and deafness, yet invigorated by his ideals of liberty, egalitarianism and the brotherhood of man. This double-disc is a sampler of his complete symphonies, piano concertos and piano sonatas (to be issued on 18 discs in three box-sets) as interpreted by Daniel Barenboim, surely one of great Beethovenians of our age.

Six of the nine symphonies, four of the five piano concertos and three sonatas (out of 32) are represented. Despite the fine performances, the sequence of disembodied movements selected does the music scant justice. There is neither chronological order nor programming intelligence in place. For example, the lovely Adagio slow movement of the Emperor Concerto does not fade off when it should but continues with the linking passage as if launching into the Rondo finale. Then the listener is assailed with the Rondo of the First Piano Concerto instead! Surely Barenboim could not have been party to this insult. Clearly this is Beethoven For Dummies. It is far better to get the full sets instead (and probably Decca’s intention as well).